the lesson from iowa today, every vote really does count. >> the caucus tallies are in. possibly the closest ever. >> exactly who has the momentum now. and who is thinking of ending his run for the white house? we're live in iowa. and a nervous night in florida, as plunging temperatures put crops in danger. and snow, making a mess for millions of dollars. and a raucous crowd can test any veteran reporter. this guy, right here, obviously had had just about enough. good morning, everybody. i'm rob nelson. >> and i'm paula faris. it's the fitting finish to a rollercoaster campaign in iowa,

during which nearly every republican candidate held the top spot. >> rick santorum's surge came just at the right time. carrying him to a virtual tie with romney. look at this razor-thin margin. romney won with an eight-vote lead over santorum. ron paul, meanwhile, coming in a solid third, followed by newt gingrich. >> abc's t.j. winick has more from all the candidates. he's live in des moines. good morning, t.j. >> reporter: rob and paula, good morning to you. it is mitt romney who will be looking for his second-straight victory next tuesday in new hampshire. but his win, his big win, here in iowa, was in doubt until literally this morning. it was a two-man race into the early morning hours. with as little as four votes separating rick santorum and mitt romney. >> we don't know what the final vote tally's going to be. >> reporter: finally, just after 1:30 a.m. central time, the

winner of the 2012 iowa republican caucus was officially decla declared. >> congratulations to mitt romney, winner of the 2012 caucasus. >> reporter: the comeback kid of iowa was rick santorum. >> game on. >> reporter: right now, he is the anti-romney. the candidate expected to challenge the former massachusetts' governor's conservative credentials. >> to build a great and just society, not from the top-down. but from the bottom-up. >> reporter: ron paul and his libertarian views are wildly popular here in the heartland. his 21% was good for just third place. >> believe me, this momentum is going to continue. and this movement is going to continue. >> reporter: results were a bitter disappointment for some. rick perry sounded like a man on the verge of dropping out. >> i've decided to return to texas, assess the results of tonight's caucus, determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race.

>> reporter: relentless negative ads savaged newt gingrich in recent weeks. he's finished the night with 13%. but vowed to fight on. >> there will be a great debate in the republican party before we are prepared to have a great debate with barack obama. >> reporter: michele bachmann won the straw poll here in august. tonight, she finished a distant sixth. just 5% of the caucus vote. beyond iowa, in new hampshire, where there are fewer evangelicals and more pro-choice voters. rob and paula? >> now that iowa is in the books, t.j., i guess the big question on everyone's mind this morning, who do you think we can expect to drop out of this thing first? >> reporter: well, certainly, rick perry would be a good candidate. you heard him say that he's going back to texas. not a good sign when new hampshire is less than a week. if he wanted to stay in, he certainly could. he has a lot of money. who i would look for to

definitely drop out before new hampshire, i would say is michele bachmann because she does not have the financial support. and she made such a big deal about being born in iowa. and she is a congresswoman from neighboring minnesota. so, this caucus was really a centerpiece of her candidacy. and the fact that she came in sixth, after winning the straw poll last august, is a bad sign. >> yeah. being a native, certainly not a help to michele bachmann. all right. abc's t.j. winick, live from des moines this morning. thanks, t.j. the iowa one is you could have seen coming a few weeks ago. >> earlier this morning, we talked to matthew dowd, about the surge by the former pennsylvania senator. >> i think it was a huge night for rick santorum in this race where we had six front-runners going into this until about a week and a half ago. and rick santorum was in single digits. everybody has written him totally off. this is a huge thing for him. it will give him a big lift nationally. it will give him a big lift into new hampshire and south carolina. >> where do we do from here? and were you surprised by how

close this was? it was mitt romney's to take. and there were 13 votes differentiating santorum from romney. >> the interesting thing about this race, it's been a race where mitt romney's been stable at 25%, 24%. then, there's the nonmitt romney vote. that's changed over time. and now, rick santorum has a hand in it. that fluctuation is going to continue. this is the first time a caucus has ever been this close in 40 years. so, it is a historic night. >> we'll get more from matthew dowd shortly an "good morning america." president obama is focused on the midwest, as well, this morning, as he heads to the key battleground state of ohio for a speech on the economy. last night, the president spoke to democratic caucusgoers in iowa, via video conference. he urged voters to help him battle what he called millions of dollars in negative ads. and jon huntsman gets some company today. he had been the sole candidate

in new hampshire. the former utah governor did not campaign in iowa. instead, focusing his resources on the new hampshire primary, which is next week. huntsman told a group of supporters, quote, nobody cares who wins in iowa. abc is your place for the next debate. just three days now until george stephanopoulos and diane sawyer ask the tough questions. you can see it all saturday night, 9:00 eastern, 6:00 pacific. arctic air gripping the east coast, has parts of florida plunging to record lows. farmers are scrambling to protect their crops. they're spraying berries and citrus to create an igloo-like shield against the deep freeze. fortunately, the cold is not expected to stick around for long. it is warming up just a tad in the midwest today. but residents around the great lakes are still digging out from mounds of snow. up to two feet came down in parts of michigan. schools were shut down and drivers had to struggle with slick roads and whiteout conditions. >> old man winter is here, for much of the country.

all right, time for weather from across the nation now. lingering lake-effect snowshowers from erie, pennsylvania, to buffalo and syracuse. 30 below windchills in northern new england. actual temperature, minus 15 in western new york. parts of florida dips into the teens. drenching downpours out west, from the olympic mountains to seattle, portland and northern california. >> 48 in boise. 62 in sacramento. mostly 30s in the middle of the country, from fargo to detroit. 28 here in new york. 47 in atlanta. 60s from miami to dallas. and still ahead this morning, new details in that murder mystery at the queen's country estate. and say it isn't so. starbucks announces its raising prices on some of its popular treats. >> we'll go bankrupt very soon. and if you're trying to lay off the white chocolate mochas, we have the new ratings of the most effective diets of the year. we'll be right back.

well, overseas markets were mostly up after some upbeat u.s. and european economic data yesterday. tokyo's nikkei average added 105 points today. hong kong's hang seng fell 150 points. in london, the ftse opened higher. own an wall street, the dow gained 180 points yesterday. the nasdaq index was up 44 points. well, there's a good chance your homeowners insurance premiums are going up. all those natural disasters last year cost the insurance companies billions of dollars. and it was the fourth-straight

year of record losses. the biggest premium increases will be seen in the southeast and midwest. the average is going to be about $30 a year. and attention, caffeine lovers, as well, this morning. that cup of starbucks coffee may be going up, as well. the chain is raising prices about 1% in the northeast. in the sun belt, as well. a tall coffee will cost an extra dime. but the price for a grande will remain the same. the last starbucks increase was about five years ago. we downloaded a record 6.5 million copies of the angry birds game, on christmas day alone. more than 1 billion mobile programs were downloaded last week, making it an appy holiday, indeed. >> i love angry birds. i am hooked. >> it is good. >> yeah. next on this wednesday morning, we'll have those overnight results from the iowa caucuses. plus, this morning, the vie vent smash and grab, taking just

seconds that sent terrified shoppers running from that jewelry store. and a big win for big blue. hail to the victors. we head to the superdome for highlights from the sugar bowl. [ female announcer ] did you know that the sources of bad breath are hidden in the contours of your teeth & tongue. introducing a breakthrough for aquafresh. new extreme clean pure breath action. its micro active foam penetrates those hard to reach places. and it now contains a mineral compound that captures and neutralizes bad breath odors giving you 80% cleaner, purer breath. for all the confidence of pure breath try new extreme clean pure breath action from aquafresh.

nyquil (stuffy): just reading whatyour label.ing? try new extreme clean pure breath action wait! you relieve nasal congestion? tylenol: sure. don't you? tylenol (another bottle): hmmm...no... nyquil (stuffy): dude! anncr vo: tylenol cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion... nyquil cold & flu doesn't. some pretty nasty weather is being blamed for another massive pileup on the road. this time in pennsylvania. about two dozen cars and big rigs flipped over in a chain reaction crash on the interstate. i-80 was forced to shut down for hours. a look at morning road conditions. slick on i-80, from cleveland to central pennsylvania. icy on i-90, from cleveland to syracuse. sane soaks i-5, from seattle to portland. snow on parts of i-84 and 90 in the cascades. >> if you're flying today, you are in luck. there are no weather-related airport delays to report.

can't remember the last time we could say that. >> that should be breaking news. >> enjoy the ride. a return to the morning's top story. a surprising launch to the primary season. >> we got the final tally from the iowa caucus just moments ago. mitt romney has been declared the winner in iowa of the republican party. just eight votes separating him and rick santorum, who is also treating this like a big victory. >> unbelievable. the rest of the field unfolding like this. ron paul coming in third. followed by newt gingrich, rick perry and iowa native, michele bachmann. jon huntsman did not campaign in iowa. >> mitt romney has a strong lead in new hampshire. just six days until the primary in that state. we'll talk to him on "good morning america," just before he gets a very important endorsement from senator john mccain. overseas to a deepening royal mystery. a search has resumed on the queen's country estate as the search for the murder in a young

woman. police have not been able to identify the victim or how she died. but they say the body could have been on the estate up to four months before being discovered last week. here in new york, the final farewell begins today for three sisters killed in a deadly christmas day house fire in connecticut. sources say embers from a fireplace were removed from the girl's home so the children wouldn't worry about santa claus coming down the chimney. the embers caused the blaze that killed the youngsters and the grandparents. the wake is today. the funeral service is tomorrow. we're learning more about the young german man suspected of setting all of the fires out in los angeles. harry burkhart's mother had been charged with 19 counts of fraud, including failing to pay for her breast augmentation surgery. burkhart exploded in a rant against the u.s. in his court hearing. and according to police, began setting fires later that night. and two fugitives are in custody in nevada.

logan mcfarland and angela atwood surrendered to authorities yesterday. they face a long list of charges, stemming from the murder of an elderly couple. the pair is expected of another attempted murder, as well as a carjacking. dramatic surveillance video of a brazen heist at a houston jewelry store. the crooks made off with rolex watches worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. frightened christmas shoppers scrambled to escape. a getaway car was waiting just outside the mall. >> look at that. many americans are starting this new year on a mission to shed some extra pounds. so, here's the latest list of the best diets, just released this morning. nutrition experts rated the dash diet number one. weight watchers topped a number of categories. the best for diabetics, the biggest loader and the ornish

diet, a low-fat vegetarian plan is the top pick. now, some sports. college football's bowl championship series resumes tonight when west virginia takes on clemson in the orange bowl. as for last night's sugar bowl, we get highlights from espn news. >> good morning. cole wright here with your espn news update. and sugar bowl action. let's get after it. it was a good one. down at the mercedes-benz louisiana superdome. michigan and virginia tech in the sugar bowl. under a minute to go in the first half. michigan down a six spot. denard robinson scrambles and looks and finds junior hemingway. old man and the sea. might as well call him old man and the "t." 7-6, wolverines. 10-6, big blue. robinson, to hemingway again. this time in the back of the paint. it's 17-6, wolverines. they were rolling. fourth quarter. hokies down 17-9.

thomas the one-yard sneak for the touchdown. v.a. tech would get a two-point conversion. that would square things up at 17-17. five seconds left in regulation. michigan up a three spot. thomas couldn't bear to watch. justin myer says why not? he was good right there. game tied at 20-20. we're heading to overtime. it's free football in the streets. first v.a. tech possession, myer from 37 yards away. no dice. robinson and michigan takes over. brendan gibbons, from 37 yards, count it. robinson, feeling good and rightfully so. michigan, they win the sugar bowl, 23-20, in overtime. that will do it for your espn news update. until next time, i'm cole wright. >> this michigan native is very happy this morning. >> go, blue. hail to the victors, right? >> that smile says it all. >> have to get you to michigan

stadium. >> tar heels, baby. up next, "the pulse," this morning and the return of that guilty pleasure, "jersey shore." are its fortunes actually fading? live reports aren't easy. especially on new year's. this one, you've got to see. [ female announcer ] kids don't worry about getting dirty.

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time to check "the pulse" this morning, the stories you'll be talking about today. with drinks in hand, fans are

gearing up for the return of "jersey shore." >> i'm proud to say i never watched the show. after a disappointing season that saw the gang in italy. sook can i drinks the juice right out of the jar. >> i know people like to hate on "the jersey shore." that show is pretty funny. i'm from new jersey. i find the kids entertaining. i know you don't like it. >> yeah. they're rich for other things. >> like many people. >> the duchess of cambridge is reportedly celebrating her 30th birthday with a blast from the past. >> there's word that kate is having an '80s-themed birthday party. sister, pippa, and harry are making the arrangements. >> the guest list will be limited to close friends and family. don't expect the queen to show up in her leg warmers and

acid-washed jeans. >> a little hairspray. >> a great picture. here's a story near and dear to our hearts, as we both have reported live in the public. >> that's what a reporter was doing on pakistani tv, as a new year was beginning in the city of lahore. check this out. nice hook, dude. bravo to our friend, assad, who had had enough of that crowd out there and let that one guy have it right in the face. how many times have we both thought about doing just that? we had that experience with a rowdy crowd. >> don't do that to me. or don't throw your laptop on me, either, okay? >> i'll be good. >> there we go. do the high-five. for some of you, your local news is next. >> for everyone else, the morning's big story. that razor-thin win in iowa for mitt romney. [ female announcer ] splenda® no calorie sweetener is sweet...

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a deep, throbbing, persistent ache. my doctor diagnosed it as fibromyalgia -- thought to be the result of overactive nerves that cause chronic, widespread pain. lyrica is believed to calm these nerves. i learned lyrica can provide significant relief from fibromyalgia pain. and for some people, it can work in as early as the first week of treatment. so now, i can do more of the things i enjoy. lyrica is not for everyone. lyrica may cause serious allergic reactions or suicidal thoughts or actions. tell your doctor right away if you have these, new or worsening depression, or unusual changes in mood or behavior, or any swelling or affected breathing or skin, or changes in eyesight including blurry vision, or muscle pain with fever or tired feeling. common side effects are dizziness, sleepiness, weight gain and swelling of hands, legs, and feet. don't drink alcohol while taking lyrica. don't drive or use machinery until you know how lyrica affects you. with less pain, i'm feeling better now that i found lyrica. ask your doctor if lyrica is right for your fibromyalgia pain.

it is the morning's top story today. as seen right here on the front page of "the des moines register." mitt romney wins the iowa caucus, with eight votes more than rick santorum. >> after finishing in the back of the pack, rick perry returns to texas to reassess his campaign. president obama heads to the midwest today with a campaign-style visit to the key battleground state of ohio. the president will talk about the economy, during a stop in cleveland. looking at today's weather, a bitter-cold morning on the east coast. 30-below windchills in northern new england. record lows in florida. rain and mountain snow in the pacific northwest. finally, from one battle zone to another. veterans who survived iraq and afghanistan are now taking a chance on the mean streets, right here at home. >> they've given themselves new marching orders, descending on

baltimore to take back their neighborhood. here's abc's chris cuomo. >> reporter: earl johnson fought terrorists as an army ranger in iraq and afghanistan. but when he returned home, he was searching for a new challenge. >> a lot of times when you exit the service, you lose that sense of purpose. you know, one moment you're cave-to-cave, chasing insurgents. the next moment, you're at home, you know, watching tv. >> reporter: then came a call to duty. taking on an enemy here at home, inner city poverty. >> i want to be apart of it. everybody wanted to be apart of something, once again, that was bigger than themselves. >> reporter: earl has joined with other veterans to turn around one of the toughest neighborhoods in baltimore. what did it used to be like here? >> open drug market. >> reporter: the homes, what were they like? >> 60% board up. >> reporter: 1,000 out of the 2,400 houses in the area were abandoned. drug gang activity so brazen, tv shows like "the wire" were based on this area.

>> what we've seen in combat zones, in some ways, we realize that it's happening right here in baltimore city. >> reporter: nevertheless, 18 months ago, earl and his wife bought a house and joined come home baltimore, a private company working to rehabilitate this neighborhood. it's purchased about 100 properties, using local tradesmen to renovate and sell them. so far, 16 families have come home. so, now what do we have? >> we have homes. we have homeowners. >> reporter: the place looks better. but earl says the real challenge is building community. and that's where the vets come in, with the 6th branch, a volunteer network run by veterans. the goal, a veteran living on every block, working with residents and in schools to build leadership and respect for their community. it's all to encourage people who used to live here to come home. are you bringing america back? >> i'm bringing it back and we're bringing it back big. >> reporter: chris cuomo, abc news, baltimore. >> a lot of lessons in that